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Meeting Plans

Session BC01: Floods And Promises

Age group: 5-6
Series: Bible Characters
Theme: Noah
Total duration:  mins

This session aims to teach the story of Noah – focussing on God's ongoing love for His people despite their sinfulness (demonstrated by the rainbow promise) and challenging the children to live like Noah – loving God and obeying Him in all situations. 

Bible references: Genesis 6-9, Genesis 1-4, Genesis 11-12, Genesis 3:15b, Hebrews 11:7.

Leader's notes
Leader's notes (show)

The story of Noah is well known – songs are sung when children are in nursery school and almost all adults have some idea that animals went into an ark two-by-two!

The challenge is to teach this story in the context of the big picture of the Bible. The story of Noah is not simply a ‘nice' story about a God who saves His animals from the rain! It is about a God who hates sin, acts in judgement, yet who is so rich in love that He promises never to destroy the earth again – despite knowing mankind would continue to sin.

The story of Noah is found in Genesis chapters 6 to 9 and reading through these chapters is the best way to prepare fully for this session. It is also worth recapping where Noah fits in the bigger picture of Genesis:

Creation: Genesis 1-2
Fall: Genesis 3
Spread of sin (Cain and Abel): Genesis 4
Flood: Genesis 6-9
Spread of sin again (Tower of Babel): Genesis 11
Start of rescue plan (Abraham): Genesis 12

By knowing the context of Noah within the Bible, it is possible to see why God destroyed the things He created and described as ‘good' just a few chapters earlier. It is also possible to understand the ‘rainbow promise'. God knew that mankind would continue to turn away from Him after the flood – just as they had beforehand. He hinted that a radical rescue plan would be needed after the Fall (Genesis 3:15b). The flood wasn't a mistake or action that God regretted doing – it was part of His bigger plan to save His people forever.

This meeting plan also challenges the children to love God and obediently walk in faith – just like Noah did. Following God is not easy and sometimes means standing out from the crowd like Noah did. Noah stood out by building the ark and he stood out for being someone who loved God. As Hebrews 11:7 says:

‘By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.'

Noah was one of God's children – an invitation that God has opened up to us and the children in our group.

The meeting plan closes by encouraging the children to respond to the ‘rainbow promise' (God will never flood the earth again), reminding the children that God keeps His promises and loves them immensely as ‘children of God'. The challenge is to live like Noah did – loving God and trusting Him. 

Notes

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